CHRISTMAS 2021

It was the week before Christmas!

All through the country, we people hurried, worried, and traveled preparing for the big celebration! Christmas! 

And what are we celebrating?  Is it Joy to the World the Lord has Come?  Is it Dreaming of a White Christmas? Is it a Blue Christmas? Is it Peace on Earth Good Will to Men?  Is it Santa Claus is Coming to Town? 

While making a mad rush to settle down for a long winter’s nap, take some time to rejoice and delight in the real reason Christmas became a season of celebrations.  “God sent His Son.”  

It is Jesus’ birthday that gives permission for us to even say Merry Christmas or have a blessed Christmas.  We sing carols, give gifts, join in parties, light lights, and perhaps attend candlelight services. There is an admission in all this activity that Jesus was born! His purpose is powerful, coming to earth out of a heart of love, with a deep desire to bring life to our dead spirits. The true celebration is accepting Jesus as personal Savior.  He was sent that the world might be saved. In life Christ lived fully, served humbly, died guiltlessly, rose from the dead miraculously, and returned to Heaven.  His completed life provides a life of eternity for all who truly believe and accept Him. 

Are you prepared to sing “Joy to the World the Lord is Come”?

 Take some time to quietly reflect and meditate on the Reason, the Hope, and the Christ who came to bring life as you celebrate Jesus. And have a Merry Christmas.

-  Joy Pedersen

 

Praise For His Plans

“Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.“ Luke 1:46-47,49

As the young virgin processed the miraculous plan God had for her life, as revealed to her by the angel Gabriel, scripture tells us she praised the Lord.

Praised Him in spite of her not knowing how it would happen.  In spite of how it would look to others. In spite of how her life would be irrevocably changed.

 

When the Lord reveals His plan for our own lives, let’s be sure to follow Mary’s example. Let’s put aside our doubts and fear, and respond with worship and praise!

- Janece Herrington

 

THANKSGIVING

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  Col. 3:17

As we gathered together to give thanks this last week with friends and family for our many blessings, were you able to feel the grace and peace of our Heavenly Father in your hearts and homes to a point where it was overflowing?

 

Chosing The Better Path

“But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made…. Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one….” Luke 10:40,41

Can you feel it? 

The countdown to the end of the year has started with a vengeance! It’s that time of year when our time can easily be hijacked by cooking, baking, cleaning and shopping, family gatherings and work events. Our “To Do” list grows by inches, and even activities like decorating the house seem burdensome rather than fun. If we’re not careful, our joy is sucked up by stress. And not just because we’re busy.

 

Holidays can bring up all sorts of emotions and memories - some old and some very fresh - and often those memories can be painful. Perhaps this will be your first round of holidays without a beloved family member. Maybe you’ve just lost a job or a home. Or maybe childhood memories of dysfunction and abuse tied to family holidays are intruding on your peace.

The good news is, as Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, we can choose to do things differently than in years past. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s what – and WHO – is truly important. So let’s choose a better path through the days ahead by focusing less on DOING, and more on BEING. Being appreciative of all God’s blessings rather than complaining about what is missing. Being truly present for those we love by giving them our time and attention rather than gifts. Let’s simplify our days so that we spend less time in the kitchen (or the mall), and more time at the feet of Jesus. 

 - Janece Herrington    

TESTIMONIAL FOR HEART OF LOVE BOOK

"Have you received your copy of The Heart of Love by Joy Pedersen (CLICK HERE), and gone through it with a friend or group?  If not, please read this powerful testimonial from Tricia, a woman in Southern California, who recently did!"

 

October 2021

“What a pleasure it has truly been exploring your beautiful book! I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a richer book full of wisdom and “God Nuggets” other than the Bible! It’s really the “biggest” little book I’ve ever read. Your talent and God-given ability to align words of wisdom and passages is so life changing! In the beginning I felt uncomfortably vulnerable, comparing most things to personal relations. In the middle, I felt deconstructed and wide eyed and seeing more Jesus – and I the end, it was all things God/Jesus! Thank you for sharing, for writing, obedience and for your “Joy”! God has surely appointed you to mend hearts, relationships and show people who our Lord is!”

Gratefully,

T. from California

 

OPERATING IN SPIRITUAL GIFTS

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.” Ephesians 3:20

Shortly after Jesus was baptized in water and the Holy Spirit came upon Him, He was launched into ministry. Throughout the next three years He demonstrated the nature of God by what He said and by what He did. 

What were some of the things? He taught about the Kingdom of Heaven, healed the sick, delivered the demonized, fed and comforted people, uncovered their pasts (like the Samaritan woman at the well) and revealed their futures (like Peter’s denying Him). Jesus did so many miraculous things, in fact, that John wrote, “if every one of them should be written down, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25)

And then, right before He ascends into Heaven, Jesus tells His followers something extraordinary:

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My Name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in My Name, and I will do it.” John 14:12-14

Isn’t that incredible? God the Father wants to do wonderful, miraculous things on Earth today through His children! Not because we’re especially smart or talented. Not because we “deserve” to because we’re good people. No! It’s because of what Jesus did by shedding His blood, rising from the dead to return to the Father and then sending the Holy Spirit to us! He created us to do good works, and then provided everything necessary for those good works to happen. We’re qualified, because we are His!

It’s important to understand there will be times when we don’t feel qualified or able to do anything worthwhile for God. The enemy of our soul likes nothing better than to remind us of past failures and try to exploit our weaknesses. He’s not called the “accuser” for nothing! (Revelation 12:10) His intent is to beat us into ineffectiveness.

Even those closest to us might look at us sideways when we start stepping out in our gifts. Has anyone ever mocked what you are doing, or said to you, “Who do you think you are?” 

Lack of faith in ourselves and from others are attacks from the enemy, and we can’t let them stop us! Even Jesus faced these things, and He was perfect! “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?...And they took offense at Him.” (Matt. 13:54-57) This chapter closes by saying that He didn’t do many miracles in His hometown because of their lack of faith! 

When it comes to operating in the gifts of the Spirit:

We are authorized to do it by Jesus, in the Name of Jesus

We are empowered to do it by the Holy Spirit, according to the will of God

Friend, there is rest in knowing that it is God in us doing the work.  Our part is to embrace what He’s called us to, make ourselves available to Him, and trust Him to do it!

GUEST BLOGGER - Janece Herrington   

 

THE PURPOSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” Romans 12:6-8

In the Intro to this series on the spiritual gifts of Romans 12, we came to see that every believer is called by God and given certain spiritual gifts – grace endowments - to fulfill that calling. No one was left out!

Just prior to listing those “charismas”, Paul reminds us of an important principle: Just as we have one body with many parts, those parts don’t all have the same function but are all equally important for proper functioning.  Each part serves a specific purpose, and belongs to all the others. 

So, too, all of us who call ourselves Christians! Not only do we belong WITH each other, we are arranged FOR each other so that the whole body operates in perfect harmony.

PURPOSE

What is the purpose of spiritual gifts? 

Paul gives us a glimpse into this right out of the gate. He’s only a few lines into the letter to the Roman church when he says:

“For I am yearning to see you, that I may impart and share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen and establish you, that we may be mutually strengthened, encouraged and comforted by each other’s faith.” – Romans 1:11, 12 (Amplified)

Have you ever yearned for something? Then you know what Paul was feeling when he wrote this, and how important it was to him! Spiritual gifts help strengthen and encourage ourselves and other believers. If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you know that being a Christian is a wonderful, miraculous walk with Jesus that is also often filled with difficult, challenging times. Like cool drinks of water on a long, hot hike, God will place people in our lives to do or say something to refresh and sustain us just when we need it. And He uses us to be that cool refreshment for someone else.

The New Testament has many other scriptures detailing the purpose of spiritual gifts. Some are:

To bring praise to God: “If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides so that in all things God might be praised.” (1 Peter 4:11) 

Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 that we are lights in this world darkened by sin and encourages us to let our light shine brightly! When we are motivated and energized by the light of God’s spirit within us, others “will see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.”

To bring testimony about Jesus:  “For in him you have been enriched in every way…God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you.” (1 Cor. 1:6) 

Think of the Samaritan woman that met Jesus at the well one day (John 4). Not only was her life changed forever, but she ran back to her neighbors saying, “Come! See a man who told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Christ?” Later in the chapter we find out that many from her hometown believed in Jesus because of her testimony.

To serve others: “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10)

Using our gifts to serve others is one major way God displays His character and love for humankind. The Gospels all detail a powerful account of this in the story of the loaves and fishes. Moved by compassion, and aware of the physical needs of the crowds that came to listen to Him, Jesus took a child’s lunch – a handful of barley loaves and two small fish - and fed thousands of men, women and children. In His hands, a child’s small offering was a miracle for a multitude!

Service is a cornerstone of our Christian faith, and the way we most powerfully exemplify the life of Jesus – perfectly answering the question: What Would Jesus Do?

Next week we will dig deeper into operating in the gifts of grace we’ve been given before discussing the gifts themselves. Have a blessed week!

 GUEST BLOGGER - Janece Herrington